1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electronic equipment having a front panel that is attachable to and detachable from an equipment body, and more particularly to a mechanism for attaching/detaching the front panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among conventional pieces of electronic equipment having a front panel, there is a piece of such electronic equipment, which has a tiltable front panel adapted to be turned in the direction of thickness of an equipment body thereof by fitting spindles into, for example, both side parts of the bottom portion of the front panel, respectively, and by using each of the spindles as a turning shaft. In the electronic equipment having the tiltable front panel, an insertion hole formed in the front surface portion of the equipment body, into which a recording medium, such as a CD (Compact Disc), is inserted, is opened by turning the front panel. Regarding the electronic equipment having such a tiltable front panel, a mechanism for attaching the front panel to the equipment body and for detaching the front panel therefrom has been proposed. The conventional mechanism for attaching and detaching the front panel is described hereinbelow by referring to FIGS. 10 to 13.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the outside appearance of the conventional electronic equipment and illustrates a state in which a front panel 300 is not attached to an equipment body 100 yet. FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the outside appearance of each of the front panel 300 and the equipment body 100 in the case that the front panel 300 is attached to the equipment body 100. FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on line Axe2x80x94A of FIG. 11. Further, FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating the outside appearance of each of the front panel 300 and the equipment body 100 in the case that the front panel 300 is tilted.
As illustrated in FIG. 10, a concave subpanel 200 is attached to the front portion of the equipment body 100. An insertion hole 200b, into which a recording medium, such as a CD, is inserted, is formed in a wall surface portion 200a of the subpanel 200. A turning arm 400 is provided in the bottom portion of the left-hand side of the subpanel 200, as viewed in this figure. This turning arm 400 is attached to the subpanel 200 so that a projection 400a, which is formed at an end portion thereof in such a manner as to be integral therewith, and a gear 700 rotatably supported by a shaft nearly at the center thereof are exposed from the wall surface 200a thereof. Further, a turning arm 500 is provided attached to a right-side part of the bottom portion of the subpanel 200, as viewed in this figure, so that a projection 500a, which is formed at an end portion thereof in such a manner as to be integral therewith, is exposed from the wall surface 200a thereof.
Moreover, a lock arm 600 is provided at a right-side top portion of the subpanel 200, as viewed in this figure. This lock arm 600 is attached to the subpanel 200 so that an engaging claw 600a formed at an end portion thereof is exposed from the wall surface 200a. Incidentally, this lock arm 600 is pushed by an elastic member (not shown) so that the engaging claw 600a is turned toward the center of the wall surface 200a. 
On the other hand, recesses 300b1 (shown in FIG. 12) and 300b2 are formed at a left-side-part and a right-side part of the bottom portion of the front panel 300, respectively. These recesses 300b1 and 300b2 are fitted around the projections 400a and 500a, so that the front panel 300 is turnably supported by the equipment body 100. Further, a sector gear 300a (shown in FIG. 12) is formed on a rear surface side of the front panel 300 in such a way as to be integral therewith. Furthermore, a concave portion 300e, which engages with the engaging claw 600a, and a push button 300d to be operated at the time of tilting the front panel 300 are formed on the front panel 300.
As shown in FIG. 11, the front panel 300 is attached to the equipment body 100 by being housed in the concave portion of the subpanel 200.
As illustrated in FIG. 12, the turning arm 400 is pushed by an elastic member (not shown) in such a way as to turn counterclockwise, that is, in a direction, in which the turning arm 400 is fitted into the recess 300b1, by employing a pin 400b as a fulcrum. Further, the turning arm 400 is provided with a gear damper 800 adapted to mesh with the gear 700. The gear 700 of the turning arm 400 meshes with the sector gear 300a when the front panel 300 is attached to the equipment body 100. Furthermore, the turning arm 500 is pushed by a leaf spring 900a, which is attached to a bracket 900, in such a manner as to turn clockwise, that is, in a direction, in which the projection 500a is fitted into a recess 300b2, by employing the pin 500b as a fulcrum.
In the case of employing the mechanism for attaching and detaching the front panel 300, which is constructed in the aforementioned manner, when a user attaches the front panel 300 to the equipment body 100, the front panel 300 is positioned so that the rear-surface-side thereof faces the wall surface 200a of the subpanel 200, as illustrated in FIG. 10. Then, the turning arm 400 is turned clockwise by first applying a force, which acts against the pushing force of the elastic member, thereto while the projection 400a is fitted into the recess 300b1 of the front panel 300. Furthermore, during a state in which the turning arm 400 is turned, a right-side surface portion of the front panel 300 is fitted into the recess portion of the subpanel 200. Then, the force acting against the pushing force of the elastic member is released. Thereupon, the recess 300b2 of the front panel 300 is fitted around the projection 500a. The engaging claw 600a of the lock arm 600 is engaged with the concave portion 300e of the front panel 300. Further, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the front panel 300 is attached to the equipment body 100 by pushing each of the turning arm 400, the turning arm 500, and the lock arm 600 toward the center of the front panel 300.
On the other hand, when a user removes the front panel 300 illustrated in FIG. 11, which has been attached to the equipment body 100, therefrom, first, the user pushes the push button 300d provided on the front panel 300 to thereby cancel an engaged state, in which the engaging claw 600a of the lock arm 600 and the concave portion 300e of the front panel 300 engage each other. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 13, each of the gear damper 800, the gear 700, and the sector gear 300a is turned, so that the front panel 300 is tilted to a position (shown in FIG. 13), in which the insertion hole 200a is opened, by employing the projections 400 and 500 as turning shafts.
During a state in which the front panel 300 is tilted to a position in which the insertion hole 200a is opened, the user moves the front panel 300 in such a way as to turn one of the turning arms 400 and 500. For instance, when the front panel 300 is moved in the direction of an arrow A shown in FIG. 13, the turning arm 500 turns counterclockwise against the pushing force of the leaf spring 10 about pin 15. Thereupon, the front panel 300 is moved to thereby cancel a fitted state, in which the projection 400a of the turning arm 400 is fitted into the recess 300b1 of the front panel 300. Then, the front panel 300 is moved in a direction in which the front panel 300 goes away from the subpanel 200, so that the fitting between the projection 500a of the turning arm 500 and the recess 300b2 of the front panel 300 is released. Thus, the front panel 300 is removed from the equipment body 100.
As described above, in the case of the conventional mechanism for attaching and detaching the front panel, when the front panel 300 is attached to the equipment body 100, the fitting between the recess 300b2 of the front panel 300 and the projection 500a of the turning arm 500 and the engagement between the engaging claw 600e of the lock arm 600 and the concave portion 300e of the front panel 300 are almost simultaneously performed.
However, because of the fact that the fitting between the recess 300b2 of the front panel 300 and the projection 500a of the turning arm 500 and the engagement between the engaging claw 600e of the lock arm 600 and the concave portion 300e of the front panel 300 are almost simultaneously performed, for example, when the magnitude of a force exerted by the user to the front panel 300 is small, a state, in which the engaging claw 600e and the concave portion 300e engage each other, and in which the projection 500a is not fitted into the recess 300b2, may occur. Then, the front panel 300 is brought into a state in which the front panel 300 is apparently attached to the equipment body 100. That is, the user uses the electronic equipment without being aware of the fact that the front panel 300 is incompletely attached to the equipment body 100.
Under such circumstances, when the user operates the push button 300d so as to insert a recording medium, such as a CD, into the equipment body 100, there occurs a situation in which the front panel 300 drops.
The present invention is accomplished in view of the aforementioned circumstances. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide electronic equipment having a front-panel attaching/detaching mechanism enabled to prevent an occurrence of a state in which a front panel is incompletely attached to an equipment body.
To achieve the foregoing object, according to the invention, there is provided electronic equipment (hereunder referred to as first electronic equipment of the invention) having a front panel, which is attachable to and detachable from an equipment body. In this electronic equipment, the equipment body comprises projection portions to be respectively fitted to fitting holes provided in the front panel, a turning member to be turned when the projection portions are respectively fitted into the fitting holes, and an engaging member adapted to abut against the turning member and to be engaged with an engaging portion provided in the front panel. The engaging member is moved to a place, at which said engaging member engages with said engaging portion, when the projection portions are respectively fitted into the fitting holes and when an abutting state, in which the engaging member abuts against the turning member, is canceled as the turning member performs a turning operation.
Further, according to an embodiment of the first electronic equipment of the invention, the turning member comprises a sector gear rotatably attached to the projection portion, and a flange portion formed in such a way as to be integral with a drive gear that meshes with the sector gear. Further, the engaging member has an abutting portion that abuts against the flange portion. Furthermore, an abutting state, in which the abutting portion abuts against the flange portion, is canceled as the flange portion is turned by a predetermined angle.
Moreover, according to another embodiment of the first electronic equipment of the invention, the equipment body has pushing means for pushing the engaging member in a direction in which the engaging member abuts against the turning member. The engaging member is moved by a pushing force of the pushing means to a place at which the engaging member engages with the engaging portion.
Furthermore, according to another embodiment of the first electronic equipment of the invention, the fitting holes are respectively provided in both side parts of the bottom portion of the front panel. Further, the projection portions are respectively fitted into the fitting holes to thereby serve as turning shafts, around which the front panel is turned in a direction of thickness of the equipment body. Moreover, the front panel is turned in the direction of thickness of the equipment body by a turning operation of the turning member by using the projection portions as the turning shafts.